TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian had a very busy day on Monday. He spoke with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

 In his phone conversation with Guterres, Abdollahian expressed concern over the security situation in Afghanistan as the Daesh terrorists are committing crimes in the central Asian countries.

He said that terrorist activities and the targeting of worshippers, along with the new wave of Afghan refugees, have added to the responsibility of the United Nations.

The Iranian foreign minister called for serious action by the UN secretary general to stop and confront terrorism in Afghanistan.

Abdollahian also pointed to a plan by Iran to host a regional conference on Afghanistan, stating that the conference is set to be attended by the foreign ministers of countries neighboring Afghanistan.

For his part, Guterres said the UN will continue to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. He also said the UN emphasizes the need for formation of an inclusive government that would represent all Afghan ethnic and religious groups.

FM: Talks with Mora were positive

In the call, Abdollahian also referred to the nuclear negotiations and stated that the recent talks between the Iranian deputy foreign minister and European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora were positive and that they will continue their negotiations next week in Brussels.

He stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports negotiations that have tangible practical results, and if parties to the JCPOA live up to their obligations fully, Iran will return to fulfilling its commitments too.

The chief diplomat also referred to the issue of prisoner exchanges, saying: “We consider the issue of prisoners to be humanitarian and we do not want this issue to be tied to the nuclear talks.”

The foreign minister also invited Guterres to visit Iran.

Expressing hope for the success of the nuclear talks, Guterres said the United Nations has always supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and, after Trump's departure, it has sought a way to restore the situation to the time before the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal.

Iran, Pakistan foreign ministers exchange views on Afghanistan

Prior to his conversation with the UN chief, Abdollahian held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Qureshi over the phone.

The Iranian foreign minister invited his Pakistani counterpart to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbors in Tehran.

Qureshi thanked Iran for the invitation and stressed that the meeting is a joint initiative of the two countries to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and its holding is important for the Afghan people.

Abdollahian expressed regret over the recent terrorist incidents in Afghanistan, which led to the killing of worshippers in the country. 

He stressed the need for all countries neighboring Afghanistan and other world nations to condemn these vicious acts.

In other remarks, the Iranian foreign minister also spoke of the responsibility of the rulers of Afghanistan to ensure the Afghan people’s security and to effectively confront the actions of terrorist groups.

The top Pakistani diplomat also said that his government condemns these terrorist acts in Afghanistan. 

Qureshi expressed hope that the rulers of Afghanistan will take necessary actions and prevent the terrorist groups from gaining a foothold in Afghanistan.

SA/PA